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Can You Really Taste Bourbon After One Drink?

I am starting to think that you really only taste bourbon, or any whiskey, i.e., taste it properly in its full plenitude, with the first drink. After that, the palate is always affected, I find I can barely taste anything coming after. If you have a decent interval, and eat something, then the palate goes back, but not otherwise.

Re: Can You Really Taste Bourbon After One Drink?

Originally Posted by Gillman

I am starting to think that you really only taste bourbon, or any whiskey, i.e., taste it properly in its full plenitude, with the first drink. After that, the palate is always affected, I find I can barely taste anything coming after. If you have a decent interval, and eat something, then the palate goes back, but not otherwise.

Comments?

Gary

I do tend to find that particularly with overproof whiskey my palate changes quickly with subsequent tastes. Drinking water in between does help. Lower proof, especially around 90 or so and below it is less of an issue unless the whiskey is pretty raw and fiery or has a significant spice component.

Whiskey high in congeners or what ever it is that can make cheaper or less "refined" whiskey taste hot, even at lower proofs, can be a lot worse than a good quality overproof whiskey is on the palate. And water seems less able to neutralize the effect.

That yella whiskey runnin' down my throat like honey dew vine water and I took another slash…

Re: Can You Really Taste Bourbon After One Drink?

This is something that intrigues me. Take two Bourbons, one youngish (36-48 months) firery and hot, and another from the same distillery that is smooth and refined at 6-8 years. Both started the same (mashbill, proof off the still and into the barrel) so what explains the difference except the barrel aging.

Re: Can You Really Taste Bourbon After One Drink?

It can but not always. Sometimes I'm picking up crazy levels of nuance three drinks in. Other times I'm a one and done guy. I haven't spent enough time contemplating the matter to hypothesize on cause and effect.

Re: Can You Really Taste Bourbon After One Drink?

I all tastes the same if you hold your breath.

I generally find my first impression is pretty accurate. In other words if it try something (especially blind) and form an opinion of it, that usually doesn't change. Has nothing to do with "palate fatigue." Has more to do with the pleasure of the taste itself.

Which is why it's very valuable to know and learn your pleasure and use it as a selective guide over anecdote. For ex, there's a ton of anecdotal feedback on Four Roses and it's a crowd fav to many. I've had enough myself to know that I don't prefer it's taste. I can pick FR out of a lineup fairly well because of previous experience, but I always am eager to be fooled (which I have been). Others are the same way with Beam or Turkey, etc.

Re: Can You Really Taste Bourbon After One Drink?

When I'm doing a SBS, I do try to taste them in reverse order - as I noticed that my second taste was virtually always my preferred (despite them being blind/random). You may be right about not tasting them as completely - but for me it feels like I'm still tasting 80% of what I would have tasted. I have tried different things with mix results (like a small piece of dark chocolate, allowing that to melt on the tongue between, followed by water), and I think those help. Or at least are an excellent excuse to consume dark chocolate

Gary (aka 'Country')=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
"Too much of anything is bad, but too much of good whiskey is barely enough." - Mark Twain
"Because Whiskey Matters!" - David Perkins